CVE-2025-31649 Overview
CVE-2025-31649 is a hard-coded password vulnerability in the ControlVault Windows Biometric Driver Interface (WBDI) Driver used by Dell ControlVault3 and ControlVault3 Plus firmware. A local attacker with low privileges can issue a specially crafted ControlVault Application Programming Interface (API) call to execute privileged operations on the affected device. The flaw is tracked under [CWE-908: Use of Uninitialized Resource] and affects Dell ControlVault3 firmware prior to 5.15.14.19 and ControlVault3 Plus firmware prior to 6.2.36.47. Dell has released fixed firmware through security advisory DSA-2025-228.
Critical Impact
A local, authenticated attacker can invoke privileged ControlVault operations by leveraging a hard-coded credential embedded in the WBDI driver, leading to compromise of firmware-protected secrets and biometric authentication data.
Affected Products
- Dell ControlVault3 firmware prior to 5.15.14.19
- Dell ControlVault3 Plus firmware prior to 6.2.36.47
- Dell business-class laptops shipping with ControlVault WBDI Driver
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-11-17 - CVE-2025-31649 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Record last updated in NVD
Technical Details for CVE-2025-31649
Vulnerability Analysis
Dell ControlVault is a hardware-based security solution that stores passwords, biometric templates, and cryptographic keys inside a dedicated firmware environment on a separate daughterboard. The WBDI driver bridges the Windows biometric stack and the ControlVault firmware, exposing an API surface that user-mode components invoke to request operations such as enrolling fingerprints, unwrapping secrets, or performing signed operations.
The driver contains a hard-coded password that gates access to privileged ControlVault API operations. Because the credential is embedded in the driver binary, any local attacker able to reverse-engineer the driver can extract the value and reuse it. Once known, the attacker can issue API calls that would otherwise be restricted, bypassing the intended trust boundary between user-mode callers and the ControlVault firmware.
Root Cause
The root cause is the use of a static, hard-coded authentication secret within the ControlVault WBDI Driver. Static secrets embedded in software provide no meaningful access control because binaries are inherently extractable and analyzable. This maps to CWE-908, tracked in Dell advisory DSA-2025-228.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction. An attacker with a foothold on the host issues a crafted ControlVault API call that includes the hard-coded credential, causing the driver to authorize privileged firmware operations. The scope is changed because compromise of the ControlVault firmware boundary can impact biometric templates and stored credentials belonging to other users of the system.
No public exploit or proof-of-concept has been published at the time of writing. See the Talos Intelligence Vulnerability Report TALOS-2025-2173 for additional technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-31649
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected loads or handle openings against the ControlVault WBDI driver by processes outside the standard Windows Biometric Service (wbiosrvc).
- ControlVault API calls originating from non-standard binaries or unsigned processes.
- Unusual access patterns to Windows Biometric Framework interfaces from user-mode utilities on Dell endpoints.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory endpoints running Dell ControlVault3 firmware versions below 5.15.14.19 and ControlVault3 Plus below 6.2.36.47.
- Monitor process activity that opens handles to ControlVault WBDI device objects and correlate against expected biometric service processes.
- Alert on kernel driver interactions with the WBDI stack from local low-privilege user sessions.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Collect Windows Biometric Framework and WBDI-related event logs and forward them to a central data lake for correlation.
- Track firmware version telemetry across the fleet to identify unpatched Dell devices.
- Baseline normal Windows Hello and fingerprint enrollment activity to make anomalous API calls easier to detect.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-31649
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the firmware updates delivered through Dell Security Advisory DSA-2025-228 to all affected Dell endpoints.
- Restrict local access to affected systems and enforce least-privilege user accounts until patching is complete.
- Audit local administrator populations on Dell business-class laptops to reduce the attacker pool that can reach the WBDI interface.
Patch Information
Dell resolved the issue in ControlVault3 firmware 5.15.14.19 and ControlVault3 Plus firmware 6.2.36.47. Updates are distributed through Dell Command Update, Dell SupportAssist, and the Dell driver catalog referenced in DSA-2025-228. Firmware updates for ControlVault also update the associated WBDI driver package.
Workarounds
- Disable fingerprint biometric authentication and remove enrolled templates on unpatched devices where operationally feasible.
- Disable the ControlVault WBDI driver in Device Manager on systems that do not rely on biometric authentication.
- Enforce full-disk encryption and pre-boot authentication so that compromise of stored credentials on a running system is contained.
# Query Dell ControlVault firmware version on Windows using Dell Command | PowerShell Provider
Get-PnpDevice -FriendlyName '*ControlVault*' | Select-Object FriendlyName, Status, InstanceId
Get-PnpDeviceProperty -InstanceId '<InstanceId>' -KeyName 'DEVPKEY_Device_DriverVersion'
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
